Focus Group Meeting: Multiscale Methods in Biology

Organizers: Mark Alber

Complex biological modeling efforts include predictive multiscale simulations consisting of different submodels at each scale, scalable parallelism for heterogeneous dynamical simulations, a data-rich environment with experimentally determined model parameters and, finally, distributed multidisciplinary research teams and resources. The goal of this focused group meeting is to bring together researchers from mathematics, physical sciences, engineering and computer science working on biological modeling together with biologists and applied mathematicians working on multiscale modeling with applications to different fields. The topics to be discussed will include, amongst others, hybrid systems and continuous limits of discrete stochastic systems. The hybrid models typical of systems biology tend to mix continuous, discrete, deterministic, and probabilistic approaches. The biological problems to be addressed will include morphogenesis, blood clotting and tumor growth.

If you are interested in participating in this meeting please send your CV and an explanation of your interests to rebecca@mbi.osu.edu.

Accepted Participants:

Mark Alber
Bjorn Birnier
Charles Doering
Markos Katsoulakis
Andre Levchenko
Herbert Levine
Philip Maini
Timothy Newman
Hans Othmer
Mary Silber
Muhammad H. Zaman

Initiate Focused Math-Bio Research Groups

The MBI is calling for proposals for Focused-Discovery Groups (FDG). The FDG idea is for a group of researchers from different institutions to get together at the MBI for a period of (typically) one week in order to discuss, intensively investigate, and aim to resolve a significant problem in the biosciences. The MBI will pay the local expenses of the participants, and will provide facilities (office space, computer support).

Proposals should be sent to the Director or one of the Associate Directors. A proposal should describe the problem to be addressed (one or two pages) and list the people who have agreed to participate.

The proposed dates of MBI residence for the FDG should be between six months and one year from the time of submission.